Manchester • 8:45pm show

NEIL ASPINALL, THE BEATLES’ ROAD MANAGER CONTINUES HIS DIARY

TUESDAY, 7th DECEMBER (CONTINUED)

The boys stayed up until well after three in the morning at the Midland Hotel in Manchester. They spent four hours with producer Walter Shenson discussing plans for their next movie. It was at this meeting that the boys made their final decision not to use the existing script based on the story of A Talent For Loving. They admitted they were not totally against the idea of a comedy-type Western but they wanted something with a less complicated plot. Paul was enthusiastic about trying something involving a big robbery of some sort.

In any event, all four Beatles agreed with Walter that they wanted to play four individual personalities. They didn’t mind keeping the names John, Paul, George and Ringo, but they were all for finding a script which would let them play four entirely different parts instead of being Beatles.

By about two o’clock everyone was hungry. George telephoned room service and tried to get cornflakes.

“They can’t do it,” he reported. “They say the food is all locked up.”

“I’ll have a go,” said Paul and he asked for fruit salad. They couldn’t do that either. So all of us finished up with jugs of hot chocolate and plates of sandwiches. […]

From Fabulous208 – August 6, 1966

To the Beatles

I ran my daughter and her friend to the Beatles’ show in Manchester on Tuesday. The fog and black ice were so bad it took me two hours to get there.

I did not feel like going home and then returning to pick them up after the show, so when the opportunity arose to purchase a ticket in the foyer, I snapped it up.

What an experience! I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The only song they sang I did not care for was “Yesterday.” The tune was good, but the words—why should the Beatles sing about yesterday with such a glorious future in front of them? Are they cheesed-off with fame and success?

They certainly deserve the MBE but that night’s audience should get the OBE for getting there.!

Margaret Willcock, 50 Lambton Road, Worsley.

From Manchester Evening News – December 10, 1965

ALAN SMITH goes on tour with THE BEATLES!

[…] Monday was a rest day in Liverpool — seeing old friends and relatives, and reviving old memories. The Beatles stayed there until Tuesday, when they left for Manchester for another concert, another press conference, and another meeting with film producer Walter Shenson.

Walter is the man who produced “Help!” and “A Hard Day’s Night,” and he wants them to make the western “A Talent for Loving.“

John told me in Glasgow: “He thinks we’re still considering that film, but as far as I’m concerned, anyway, it’s scrapped. The original book was great — but the script they showed us turned out lousy. The trouble is, these people try to write something around us, and in the way they imagine we’d do it. This is useless. We want something we can do things with, something that’s a challenge.”

Chimed in George: “He’s right, I wouldn’t mind waiting another nine months to make a film. Who’s in a hurry? We want the right script.”

Ringo — who’s a big western fan — also had a word to say: “Anyway, I’ve gone off making a western myself, and I say that even though I think the script they offered us gave me the best deal.” […]

From New Musical Express – December 10, 1965